An Inventory of Elections Materials (Part I) at the Texas
State Archives,
1909, 1913,
1936, 1940-1984

These records include
certificates of election, canvasses of votes, election returns (mostly county
returns, but also some precinct returns), correspondence, office memoranda,
proclamations, clippings, presidential electors reports, minutes of the
electoral college, Attorney General opinions concerning elections, precinct
maps, lists of candidates, copies of relevant legislation, sample ballots,
applications for a place on the ballot, election inspection reports, election
schools materials, handbooks, voter registration reports, records of political
parties (including minutes of party conventions, rules, and party primary
expense statements), lists of officials prepared by the Secretary of State,
election working files, and constitutional amendment working files. They
comprise election materials created and/or maintained by the Elections Division
of the Texas Secretary of State, dating 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984. These
materials document most general and special elections during this time period;
and most primary elections beginning 1950. Most files reflect statewide or
district races, although local races (e.g. for municipal offices) are also
occasionally represented, especially in the case of special or contested
elections. Parties represented include the Democratic and Republican parties,
as well as independent candidates and third parties. Constitutional amendment
elections are well-represented.

Quantity:

84.47 cubic
ft.

Location:

Please note that a portion of these records are stored at the
State Records Center. Records requested before 10:00 a.m. will usually be
available by 4:00 p.m. the same day. Records requested after 10:00 a.m. and
before 3:00 p.m. will usually be available by noon the next day.

Language:

These materials are written predominately in
English with scattered
Spanish throughout.

The Texas Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the
executive branch of state government, appointed by the governor and confirmed
by the senate for a term concurrent with the governor's (a two-year term at
first, a four-year term since 1974). The office was first created by the
Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836, and has been continued by each
succeeding Constitution.

The Secretary of State has an enormous number of duties and
responsibilities, including the following: authenticating the publication of
all laws passed by the state legislature; approving comptroller's accounts
against the state prior to payment; maintaining a register of all official acts
and proceedings of the governor, and all appointments to state boards and
commissions; interpreting and enforcing the Texas Election Code, as the state's
chief election officer; keeping the Seal of the State of Texas; maintaining
many business-related filings, including corporation and Uniform Commercial
Code filings.

The office of the Secretary of State is divided into five divisions:
Executive, Elections, Business and Public Filings, Administrative Services, and
Information Services.

The Elections Division assists the Secretary in interpreting and
applying the Election Code and other election laws, and in carrying out his
duties as the state's chief election officer. This involves the following
tasks: receiving, examining, and filing the official certified returns of all
general elections, special elections for members of the legislature, and
constitutional amendment elections; preparing detailed and comprehensive
written instructions on election laws and distributing them to state and local
authorities who administer the laws; receiving official filings of
election-related lists, records, and petitions; maintaining a registration
service master file containing voter registration information for each
registered voter in the state; providing for the training of election judges
and clerks; certifying (in writing) the name of each candidate for U.S.
president and vice-president and each candidate nominated at a primary election
or party convention for a statewide or district office that will appear on the
general election ballot.

In 1992, the functions of the Elections Division's Disclosure Filings
Section were transferred to the newly created Texas Ethics Commission. Those
duties had included the administration of certain ethics filings, created
during the 1970s: statements of campaign contributions and expenditures for
individuals and for political action committees (PACs), personal financial
disclosure statements required of candidates and certain elected and appointed
state officials, speaker's race reports, registration and reports of lobbyists.

These records include certificates of election, canvasses of votes,
election returns (mostly county returns, but also some precinct returns),
correspondence, office memoranda, proclamations, clippings, presidential
electors reports, minutes of the electoral college, Attorney General opinions
concerning elections, precinct maps, lists of candidates, copies of relevant
legislation, sample ballots, applications for a place on the ballot, election
inspection reports, election schools materials, handbooks, voter registration
reports, records of political parties (including minutes of party conventions,
rules, and party primary expense statements), lists of officials prepared by
the Secretary of State, election working files, and constitutional amendment
working files. They comprise election materials created and/or maintained by
the Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State, dating 1909, 1913,
1936, 1940-1984. These materials document most general and special elections
dating 1909, 1913, 1936, 1940-1984; and most primary elections dating
1950-1984. Files are not present for all elections. Most files reflect
statewide or district races, although local races (e.g. for municipal offices)
are also occasionally represented, especially in the case of special or
contested elections. Parties represented include the Democratic and Republican
parties, as well as independent candidates and third parties (Libertarian,
Socialist Workers, La Raza Unida, American, Constitutional, Independent, New,
Citizen, Whig, Confederate, American Family, Communist, and Populist Parties).
Constitutional amendment elections are well-represented.

These records document the full gamut of election-related activities
in Texas, including ordering and notification of elections, voter registration,
political party rules, conducting primary elections, primary financing,
political party conventions, application for a place on the ballot, preparation
of the ballot, training and conduct of election judges and clerks, poll
watching and election inspection, voting procedures, counting of ballots and
preparation of returns, canvassing of election results, early voting,
management of different voting systems, management of the presidential
electoral college, election recounts, contested elections, bilingual
requirements, and management of constitutional amendment elections.

Of particular note are voter registration reports dating 1967-1980.
Arranged alphabetically by county and then in reverse chronological order
within each folder, these reports give the number of registered voters precinct
by precinct, with a county total. Reports dating 1967-1973 give a further
breakdown (precinct by precinct) of number of voter registration certificates
issued, and number cancelled.

Although some election returns are present in these files, the vast
majority of election returns (county-by-county and precinct-by-precinct) have
been described in three separate inventories (see Related Material).

This finding aid has been split into two separate finding aids due to
electronic file size limitations imposed by TARO. Click here for
Part II (mostly 1976-1984). If you are reading
this in paper, that finding aid is found at a separate divider within the
binder.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily
reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to
provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

Arrangement of the Records

Records dating 1909-1975 are arranged chronologically by year, then by
election date when applicable. Files not relevant to specific elections are
filed after election materials in the proper year. From 1976 thru 1984,
however, records are first arranged chronologically by year; but within each
year files are generally in the order received. Materials that are
chronologically mixed (especially those covering more than one year) are listed
next, and voter registration reports (1967-1980) are filed last.

Restrictions on Access

Please note that a portion of these records--specifically, the last
accession (1995/041)--is stored at the State Records Center. Records requested
before 10:00 a.m. will usually be available by 4:00 p.m. the same day. Records
requested after 10:00 a.m. and before 3:00 p.m. will usually be available by
noon the next day.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and
may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received
by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The
researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17
U.S.C.).

To view the videotapes or listen to the audiocassettes please contact
the Archives' Preservation Officer.

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information
Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the
Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State on June 1, 1979; and January
13, 1989; by the Administrative Division of the Texas Secretary of State on
December 6, 1988; and by the Statutory Documents Section of the Texas Secretary
of State on December 22, 1994.